There are many misconceptions about Social Security Disability benefits and how to get them. One of the most common misconceptions currently is that disability benefits are harder than ever to receive. This is simply not true.
While there may be a longer delay in a benefits decision due to the large amount of claims being filed, the decision to award benefits is focused squarely on the conditions and disabling characteristics of each claimant. Each claim is evaluated independently and on its own merit by Administration personnel, medical consultants, and vocational experts. There is no consideration of how many claims are being filed, how many have been awarded by a particular agent or how many have been awarded in a set amount of time. Claims are decided based on their individual merit, which is why it is important to provide complete, relevant information regarding your medical condition, treatment, work history, activities of daily living and prognosis. Working with an experienced attorney is one way to make sure that you have provided all of the important and necessary information to support your claim and ensure that you have provided the best evidence for your claim. An experienced attorney will know what additional information is necessary and will be able to assist you in providing specific information to benefit your claim. While it is not harder to get benefits, there is an easy way and a hard way to pursue a claim. The hard way is to pursue the benefits by yourself, without the assistance of a trained, experienced individual, such as an attorney. Working with an attorney will make the process much easier, espcially on the claimant’s time and energy.
Benefits are not harder to get, but they do require hard work, and working with an attorney can reduce the amount of work you need to do to support your claim so that you can work hard on your health.
Attorney Jennifer J. Allen is an associate attorney with Alan C. Olson & Associates, S.C. If you have any questions about Social Security Disability, please contact her at [email protected].
